Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia is inviting Brooklyn residents to the annual DSNY SAFE Disposal Event to be held Sunday, May 4, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in McCarren Park. The annual events, held in each borough, provide NYC residents with a one-stop method to safely dispose of potentially harmful household products. Residents using a car to attend the event should approach from Driggs Avenue and Lorimer Street.

Residents should bring products such as pesticides, strong cleaners, mercury-containing devices, paints, oils, electronics, and medications to this year’s SAFE Disposal Events. Only NYC residential waste will be accepted.

To identify harmful products, look for the following signal words: DANGER, WARNING, POISON, or CAUTION. Products labeled DANGER represent the highest hazard level. Please also bring any other materials stored in your home that you know may be harmful.

“We welcome and encourage Brooklyn residents to take advantage of these yearly events,” said Commissioner Garcia. “They are an easy way to safely dispose of potentially harmful products that often end up stored in closets, garages, or basements. Last year, more than 7,000 attendees brought almost 700,000 pounds of material to the five events.”

DSNY is organizing the SAFE Disposal Events with the participation of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation.

Materials collected during the DSNY SAFE Disposal Events will be recycled, blended for fuel, or sent to licensed hazardous waste treatment facilities. In order to properly manage these materials, DSNY relies on several partners and contractors including Covanta Energy, Electronic Recyclers International, HopeLine® from Verizon, the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, and Veolia ES Technical Solutions.

If you can’t participate in these events, please keep in mind that there are many year-round options to handle auto products, batteries, cell phones, electronics, fluorescent lamps, latex paint, mercury devices, and syringes.

The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) promotes a healthy environment through the efficient management of solid waste and the development of environmentally sound long-range planning for handling refuse, including recyclables. The Department operates 59 district garages and manages a fleet of 2,022 rear-loading collection trucks, 450 mechanical brooms and 365 salt/sand spreaders. The Department clears litter, snow and ice from approximately 6,000 miles of City streets and removes debris from vacant lots as well as abandoned vehicles from City streets.